When we last saw the Broncos in a real, live, outrageous game in Denver, Demaryius Thomas was making a catch and running wildly, and Bolt-like, down to the South end zone for a touchdown.

Sunday night he did it ... again.

Deja Redeaux.

Wasn't the opening grand?

"It was special," Peyton Manning said.

During a span of 20 minutes and 34 seconds of game time and more than an hour and 15 minutes of actual time, the Steelers ran 45 plays to the Broncos' 3.

And one of the Broncos' three plays was a kneel-down to end the first half.

But after all that game clock control and mind-numbering hysteria from the second quarter into the fourth by the Steelers, a few minutes later, the Broncos were ahead and headed to victory.

This game produced multiple subplots and had manifold possibilities.

A standing room-only crowd — literally, folks were standing all along the wall of the upper deck — looked like they were at a Halloween party, outfitted in orange (Broncos backers) and black (Steelers supporters).

With time running out at the end, though, only the orange remained. The Steelers fans had faded to black — after being run out of town — and passed out of Denver — for the second time in nine months.

This time, it was Manning vs. Ben Roethlisberger, two heavyweight champions, two gallant and glorious quarterbacks, two precise instruments.

But, advantage Peyton & Porter. The two making their debuts with the Broncos were on opposite sides in the Super Bowl three years ago when Tracy Porter picked Peyton and ran for a touchdown that climaxed the game. On Sunday night, Porter intercepted Roethlisberger and ran for a touchdown that decided the game.

It just got curiouser and curiouser, and more exciting as both teams turned to the no-huddle offense.

The Steelers had the best possible game plan: Keep the ball out of Manning's right hand by keeping the ball in Roethlisberger's right hand.

Problem was, when Manning did get his hand on the ball in the second, third and fourth quarters, he helped the Broncos score touchdowns.

The two quarterbacks were super special the final two drives of the first half.

First, it was Manning's turn.

Manning went to a full-metal no-huddle offense and hit Joel Dreessen for 6 yards.

Both teams had abysmal running games in the first quarter. The Steelers had rushed six times for 1 yard. Yes, 1. The Broncos weren't much better — eight carries for 16 yards and a Willis McGahee fumble.

So, Manning and Roethlisberger would be doing what they really care for. Putting the ball up.

On third-and-1, Peyton popped Demaryius Thomas for 6, then returned to him for 20 yards. Manning then turned to Jacob Tamme for 4, and, lo and behold, actually scrambled around right end for 7 yards.

Manning in the moment was the same Manning of days past. When he had connected with Brandon Stokley, his old teammate with the Colts, it had to be remembered that these two had combined to miss 31 games last season. (Stokley played in one, Manning, of course, none.)

As Manning checked the geography, the Steelers were unable to make one defensive change. They kept the same 11 for all 12 plays.

Photos: Broncos

This was a drive that Manning could have copyrighted years ago. It was almost as if John Fox had scripted the first-quarter offense, and Manning played unplugged in the second quarter.

The Broncos had their first Manning-led touchdown of the season and their first lead at 7-3 with 5:22 remaining before halftime.

Next, Roethlisberger responded.

The Steelers began at their 21 and, 14 plays later, regained the lead at 10-7 seconds before the break.

Moving about and showing that the bad ankle that subdued him in the playoff game here is swell, not swollen, Very Big Ben threw for 5 and for 27 yards. Working primarily from the shotgun — and without a huddle too — Roethlisberger took the Steelers to the 21 with just over a minute to go. Then, on third-and-13, as he was being surrounded by orange, Roethlisberger bought just enough time and room to hit Emmanuel Sanders, probably the MVP of the first half, at the Broncos' 4.

Then, Ben flipped to Heath Miller for the touchdown.

If you liked the second quarter, you'd love the third and the fourth.

Back and forth, Roethlisberger and Manning. Then, with the Steelers still trying to become settled in their defense late in the third quarter, Manning called for the snap. Thomas, split wide left, backed up two steps and accepted the bubble screen pass, with safety Troy Polamalu trying to fight unsuccessfully though the Broncos' posse.

Uh-oh, Steelers.

Thomas had gone 80 yards on the first play of the overtime with a catch from Tim Tebow.

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